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Can Web Design Really Influence Conversion?

From a fundamental perspective, the only factors that really influence conversion rates are price and demand, right?

While this assertion may have varying degrees of truth across alternative markets, there are actually a number of less-obvious factors that can influence your ability to convert customers. Take the design of your website, for example, which has the power to impact on various stages of the consumer journey and drive a compelling value proposition.

So, how exactly does web design impact on conversion rates, and what steps can you take to leverage this? Consider the following:

Colour Has a Multi-layered Impact in the Minds of Consumers

When designing a website, your choice of colours is pivotal. While you may be restricted in some respects by your brand’s colour palate, of course, you should strive to create combinations that have a positive effect in the consumer mind.

There are also three main considerations when determining the colours of your website, and these relate to cultural, psychological and physical factors. The first two pertain to the way in which we perceive colours, either due to geographical differences or the emotional reaction that they trigger. The latter refers to issues such as colour blindness and visual impairment, as you look to create a visual effect that is accessible and appealing to as many visitors as possible.

Understanding these factors will help you to make informed design decisions, although it is particularly important to focus on the psychological impact of different colours. Each one triggers different emotional reactions, for example, while they can also be used to convey messages relating to the design, purpose and quality of your products.

Typography Can Direct Customers to Key Messages

While there may not appear to be many differences between variable fonts, there is scientific evidence to suggest otherwise. In fact, when reading content our minds infer subliminal messages from the precise font used, with Baskerville recently revealed as the most persuasive and trustworthy typeface.

This underlines one of the many reasons why typography is a key design factor that can influence conversions in the digital age, while there are others that relate to the clarity and readability of your messaging.

By ensuring that you text (and more specifically key elements of your primary messaging) is legible and logically presented, for example, you can optimise its impact on the mind of customers. This makes it easy for readers to skim your website without missing out on key communications, while publishing your text against a high contrast background also helps you to achieve this objective.

On a final note, you can use whitespace to help your content stand out, as this frames your text and catches the reader’s eye more effectively.

Use Design to Create Clear Conversion Opportunities

If you have never heard of conversion paths before, these refer to the journey that visitors take as they transition from being leads to paying customers. Your website design plays a huge and often overlooked role in shaping each journey, and there are several objectives that you should look to achieve if you are to optimise your conversion rates and lay the foundations for long-term business.

Firstly, you should take steps to ensure that the conversion path is as clearly designed and transparent as possible, as this reassures consumers and helps to build trust. This path should also include a minimal number of steps, making it easier for customers to navigate your site seamlessly while clicking through actionable icons.

On a final note, make sure that you optimise the page loading times across your website. After all, fast-loading pages are central to a positive customer experience in the modern day, as those that load slowly can trigger a relatively high bounce rate and force consumers to go elsewhere.